Curiously Mad
by thedreamerbehindthemask
Summary: Dreams show the true desires of our heart and hopes of the future.Alice misses underland, and her dreams show it. One stormy night on sea, Alice gets a visitor, a very familiar visitor. She  will  return.
1. A dream and a visitor for Alice

New Hearts

An Alice in Wonderland story

All belongs to the ideas of Carol/Burton

Ch.1

A dream and a visitor for Alice

_The night breeze ruffled the skirts of her dress as she ran. Past the gazebo, past the rose bushes she ran. Alice was in the Ascots gardens with only one thing on her mind, that mystically mad place that she had visited twice and so yearned to visit again, wonderland._

_There it was the rabbit hole right under the huge oak! Alice's heart raced as she now slowly approached the deep pit. She hesitated as she looked down_

_She would miss her mother and sister so very dearly if she left. She would also miss her new apprenticeship in the new trading company. Alice sighed, yet if she stayed any longer her desire to go back to wonderland would drive her mad. Madder than she already was anyway she thought with a small smile. Alice now knew what she had to do. She slowly turned away from the rabbit hole and took a few steps forward. She then quickly rounded and ran towards the hole. Then Alice jumped. She fell down down deeper into the pit._

_Yet she was not afraid. Only excitement pulsed through her veins as she got closer to her destination. Alice continued to fall as objects of every sort whirled past her. Then she fell with a thud onto the not so soft floor._

_Alice looked around but there was nothing to see. This is queer she thought._

_Where were the doors and the table? Alice felt a wave of anxiety sitting alone in complete darkness. "Hatter?" she called. "Bayard". "Cheshire". _

_Tears streamed down her face as Alice called out the names of her friends desperately. She was alone. Then she saw a faint glow appear before her._

_The light formed a face. A face she very well knew. "Hatter!" she exclaimed._

"_Oh Alice," sighed the mad hatter, his face looking grim" why did you leave us?"_

"_I'm here now Tarrant" Alice exclaimed, A ray of hope shining across her face._

"_It is too late;" he said with a wistful gaze "you never were on time."_

_Then the image of the hatter started to fade, until Alice was left alone in darkness once more._

"_Hatter!" Alice cried. As she lay down on the cold marble floor and cried images flooded her mind, the red queen yelling 'off with her head', the hatter flutterwacking after she had defeated the jabberwocky, the white queen daintily smiling at her, the Cheshire cat's wide grin, and lastly a crimson heart. Then everything went black. _

Alice suddenly sat up straight in bed, her right hand over her heart, panting. She looked around to determine where she was. Relief flooded through her as she realized that she was still in her cabin on her ship the 'Wonder', on her way to trade in China. "It was all a dream" she mumbled, still trying to steady her breath. "A terrible awful dream"

"Miss Kingsleigh!" someone outside yelled.

Alice quickly slipped out of her small bed and padded over to her rather tiny wardrobe. Unlike many other young women of her time Alice didn't pay much attention to the latest fashion styles and often had somewhat of a lack of clothing. She slipped on a modest spring green robe and opened her cabin door. The strong salty scent of the ocean instantly flooded Alice's senses with the soft breeze that floated throughout the cabin. It was still dark outside and the soothing sounds of the ocean made Alice feel quite weary despite of her most disturbing dream.

"Miss Kingsleigh!" the urgent voice repeated. A figure, out of the darkness, appeared in front of Alice. He was a short stocky man, who clearly did not often bathe. His cheeks were flushed and he looked very worried. As if someone might take off his head Alice thought with a smirk.

"What is it then?" Alice was extremely tired and wished to get back in bed.

"There's someone here to see ye".

"By all means who?" Alice exclaimed, lack of sleep making her irritated.

The man looked surprised by her sudden outburst and quickly responded.

"That's the thing, miss. We don't know…. He's a bit of a weird one if ye ask me."

"I didn't" Alice responded curtly. Mother would scold me for being un-ladylike Alice thought. But I am so very tired another part of her said.

"Just take me to this stranger of yours" So Alice and the little man walked onto the deck and towards the captain's quarters. Inside it was warm and Alice again fought sleep. I need to get this over with so I can get some rest she thought while she miserably tried to restrain a yawn. Toward the back of the cabin stood a rather tall man in a tailored brown suit, he had copper colored hair that shone in the light of the cabin and a warm smile on his face.

Alice found nothing queer about him yet. She quickly dismissed the messenger and turned towards the stranger. "Good evening sir" she said warily. "I'm Alice, Alice Kingsleigh."

"I know very well who you are Alice." The stranger said with a goofy smile.

Alice flinched at his informality and regretted dismissing the little man.

"Who are you then?" Alice asked cautiously.

He answered her question with another. "Why, Alice is a raven like a writing desk?"

Alice looked at the stranger again and saw a pair of bright green eyes.

Ch.2

Alice was now wide awake as she ran into the mad hatter's embrace. He was here! Here on the ship, here with her! Her thoughts raced as she hugged him not wanting to let go. He smelled of tea and of foreign spices, of Underland

"Oh Hatter" She sighed as she pulled away reluctantly "what on earth are you wearing?" she said as she examined his plain chestnut colored suit and tie. His normally wild orange hair was now a duller shade of copper and was slicked back in the style of a wealthy gentleman. And a wealthy gentleman he is not, Alice thought. He is the mad hatter!

Hatter looked taken aback as he inquired "Is this not what the people here wear?" he was awfully confused. He didn't favor this suit but he wore it for Alice's sake.

"Yes, yes of course, but that is not what a mad hatter wears" Alice said smiling.

"I missed you so dearly Alice. After you had slain the jabberwocky, I went bonkers!"

"Tarrant you were mad to start with but I missed you too" Alice admitted.

"Then why did you leave us?" hatter said with his usual lisp, a sad look in his bright green eyes. Alice shuddered, his question reminding her of her dream.

"I had things to do, places to see." Alice pleaded.

"That doesn't matter now for you are coming back" the hatter said laughing madly and clapping his hands.

"When did I agree to such a thing?" Alice exclaimed. "I saved your land once yet I don't want to go through that again"

"It's not a matter of choice, Alice, the oraclum


	2. Pirates!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing I tell you! But…. I wish I did ;)

I like Reviews, Reviews are good but I'm not begging… ok maybe I am. Review!

The Alice, yes the Alice is back! (Against her own free will)

"Hatter, what does that silly scroll of paper have to do with anything of the sort!" Alice cried above the sounds of the oncoming storm at sea.

"Alice, Alice, You should know by now that the oraculum portrays our destinies." Hatter said softly, a pleading look in his large green eyes.

"There is so much more I have yet to see in this world, Hatter" Alice's voice was now barely over a whisper and filled with sadness.

"You can control fate Alice" Hatter explained. "I thought you loved Underland and that maybe that you were starting to love a certain ha-"

The door to the cabin swung open suddenly, sending a gust of bitter cold wind and salty sea mist throughout the room. A dark figure blocked the doorway to the cabin, and Alice found herself clinging shamefully to Hatter. She had heard many stories of the dangers of the sea. More shadowy figures surrounded the tallest one at the door. The man in the lead stepped forward into the light of the cabin, only to reveal his face. It was the face of a pirate, with dark eyes and a crooked smile that clearly stated danger. Hatter eyes turned bright orange, eyes aflame.

"Hello" a voice silky smooth yet sharp with vile hate greeted. "You," the man in the front said, his dark eyes on Alice "must be Miss Alice"

"How dare you speak to me so informally, to you I am Miss Kingsleigh" Alice stated coldly. She battled a dragon, pirates are nothing but scum. Yet fear still found a way to penetrate her heart as she reached into her boot for her hidden dagger.

"I'm a pirate, to me formal doesn't exist" he stated fingers brushing over the scabbard on his belt almost threateningly.

"You want our cargo" Alice said without a hint of questioning in her voice.

"We want everything and everything we shall have, for your crew is pathetic."

"Not without a fight you won't." The hatter said with a glare, defending Alice.

"We shall have it your way then" the lead pirate said with a smirk.

Everything was dead silent, except for the howling of the raging winds. Then the pirates attacked. Shouts of battle rang through the small cabin as hatter and Alice tried in vain to rid of the scoundrels of the sea. Alice jabbed unsuspecting pirates with her dagger as the hatter fought on pure rage and adrenaline. Someone then grabbed Alice from behind, she then slapped the pirate as hard as she could. The vicious man now filled with rage didn't let go and sent a deadly blow to her head. Alice fell to the ground her mind getting fuzzy, shouts echoing through her head. Alice then felt a hand gently lift her head and cool glass pressed on her lips. _I need to drink this_ she thought closing her eyes and swallowing before everything disappeared from her mind, and her world went black.


End file.
